In emotional court, Corey gets life term for murder of pregnant woman

WORCESTER — Fred Haynes carried his daughter's ashes into the Worcester Superior Court courtroom this morning, but was too distraught to speak when the time came.

As he was about to deliver an impact statement at the sentencing hearing for Julie A. Corey, the woman convicted of murdering Darlene L. Haynes in 2009 and cutting the unborn baby from the 23-year-old victim's womb, Mr. Haynes began to shake uncontrollably and soon broke down into tears.

Assistant District Attorney Daniel J. Bennett took over for him, trying to summarize the feelings Mr. Haynes had expressed to him in the past. While grateful that a jury had found Ms. Corey guilty of Ms. Haynes' murder, Mr. Haynes knew that “full justice” could not be served “because nothing will bring his daughter back,” Mr. Bennett told the court.

Ms. Corey, 39, formerly of 3 Henry Terrace, was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole this morning after being convicted last week of first-degree murder in the death of Ms. Haynes. The victim's decomposing body was discovered on July 27, 2009, in a bedroom closet in her apartment at 94 Southgate St.

An autopsy determined that she had died from multiple blunt head trauma causing skull fractures, asphyxiation by an electrical cord that was found wrapped around her neck and a 9-inch incision in her abdomen. Eight months pregnant at the time of her death, Ms. Haynes' fetus and reproductive organs were missing.

Ms. Corey and her boyfriend, Alex J. Dion, arrived at a homeless shelter in Plymouth, N.H., two days later. With them was a newborn baby girl Ms. Corey proudly called her daughter. DNA testing would later show that Ms. Haynes was the infant's biological mother and her ex-boyfriend, Roberto C. “Tito” Rodriguez, was the father.

The 4-year-old now lives with Mr. Rodriguez.

Ms. Corey was found guilty Wednesday of first-degree murder under all three of the prosecution's theories of the crime, that the slaying was premeditated, that it was carried out with extreme atrocity or cruelty, and that it occurred during the commission of a felony, aggravated kidnapping, that is punishable by up to life imprisonment.

Judge Janet Kenton-Walker imposed the mandatory life sentence, and Ms. Corey's lawyers filed a notice of appeal, clearing the way for a state Supreme Judicial Court review of the trial that led to her conviction.

While the defense lawyers did not dispute that Ms. Corey was found with Ms. Haynes' baby, they maintained during the trial that she did not take part in the killing, as the prosecution alleged.

The 12-member jury deliberated for about 9½ hours over two days before returning its guilty verdict.

Several of Ms. Haynes' family members submitted written impact statements, which were read by Mr. Bennett before Ms. Corey's sentence was formally imposed.

Among them was Ms. Haynes' grandmother, Joann Haynes, who has been raising two of the victim's children.

“The hardest thing is seeing them grow up and not have their mother here with us. There are no words to put on paper to show or explain the hurt we are all going through, especially her children.

“You can't just explain to a child that their mother has been murdered. All these poor children know is that their mother is now in heaven,” Ms. Haynes wrote.

Describing her granddaughter as “a happy, beautiful, loving and caring person,” the grieving grandmother said Ms. Haynes' slaying has filled her family with pain and sadness.

“I sleep with her ashes on my bed, and I kiss them every day and night. My only wish is that she could still be here with her family where she belongs,” the grandmother wrote.

With the innocence of youth, Ms. Haynes' 9-year-old daughter addressed Ms. Corey in her impact statement, which was read aloud by Judge Janet Kenton-Walker: “I think it was mean to kill my mom. I think it was very bad that you did that,” the child said.